After the success of our initiative 'Bali against AIDS' we're launching Asia Against AIDS-Back To Zero' in 2015, with the aim to reach out to young people all over Indonesia, in 2016 followed by China and India, using social media and a mix of international and local celebrities and pop culture. Today we received this news from Bali, which made us realize that the fight against HIV/AIDS there is far from over, in fact it just started. We urgently need to get the correct information out to young people in Asia -and with your help we can do it!


Dr. Ketut Suarjaya, chief of the Bali Provincial Health Service told the State News Agency Antara that the number of new cases of HIV/AIDS discovered in Bali each month numbers between 100 and 110. Based on data collected by the Bali Health Department through the end of November 2014 there are now some 10,524 HIV/AID sufferers in Bali. Of that total, a total of 5,639 are calculated to be infected with HIV and the remaining 4,885 afflicted with AIDS. Expressing his concern that the

number of HIV/AIDS sufferers may be even more, Suarjaya added, “These are just the cases reported and there are perhaps many more that remain unreported.” These totals include an estimated 568 people who have died during the course of their struggle with HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Suarjaya blames the spread of HIV/AIDS in Bali on a sub-culture of free sex and the use of non-sterilized needles by intravenous drug users. Because of the rapid increase of HIV/AIDS cases reported among pregnant women in Bali, the Health Department is urging expectant mothers to take advantage of free testing and counseling programs available in Bali. The government is also continuing educational outreach programs at schools, universities and to the general public.

Source: Bali Discovery